Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Religious Events
How Do We Pray?

How Do We Pray?

Last updated on: May 4, 2023 at 5:54 am by Greg Richardson

0 Comments

How Do We Pray? 2023-05-04T05:54:40-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How Do We Pray?

People ask us to pray for them or someone they know on social media. We pray for people who are ill or injured, people who experience tragedy or loss. Some of us pray for relief from natural disasters or for people affected by gun violence. Many of us are praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan and the Middle East and the rest of the world.

We pray for people we know and for those we have never met. Praying may remind us of people we love who are no longer with us.

How do we pray?

It is as if some of us think praying is a celestial customer service number we can call when we need help. We pray when some aspect of our lives will not work the way we expected.

Some of us grow frustrated and tired of the thoughts and prayers people offer when what we really want is meaningful change.

Many people experience prayer as a sort of last resort, a Hail Mary(in several ways) when nothing else works.

Our prayers take many different forms. Some of us follow established patterns people have been using for hundreds of years. Others of us extemporaneously share what is hidden within our hearts.

I know people who practice prayer by praying at particular times each day. Other people believe we need to be in a specific place to pray.

Do we believe our prayer will change the track of storms or keep people safe? Are there reasons for us to pray after something has already happened?

Is prayer about finding the help we need or getting what we want?

Can our prayer change God’s mind or God’s behavior?

What Does Our Prayer Do?

When we pray we are not trying to persuade or influence God. It is not as if we see things God might have missed or need to make sure nothing gets lost.

Prayer is how we recognize whether we are aligned with spiritual life. We bring our concerns and loves, our ideas and anxieties into the light of the sacred. Praying helps us develop and sustain our spiritual perspective.

We look and listen, discerning how our desires fit into spiritual life.

When we read about or watch some tragedy happening somewhere in the world, we pray. It is not because we expect, somehow magically, the damage will not have happened. We bring the situation and the people directly affected by it into the sacred light of truth.

Prayer is an appreciation we want to do what we can. We are paying attention and sharing our time and energy.

Our prayer is not about influencing God, but about how spiritual life influences us. We open ourselves to its healing, loving presence. Praying is how we remember spiritual life within us and in the world so we can put our trust into it.

Prayer is not a magic spell or a formula to get what we want. My prayer is most often about recognizing and remembering I cannot control what happens.

We do not wield spiritual life like a wand or a light saber. It flows through us when we allow ourselves to be open and honest.

We pause, take a few breaths, and recognize the power of deep sacred truth. Our prayer helps us perceive the power which is at work in us and in the world. Spiritual life draws us into active and intimate engagement with sacred truths.

Praying is an opportunity for us to put spiritual life into practice.

Whether or not we light candles when we pray, our prayer sheds light in the darkness.

When Do We Pray?

Some of us set aside particular times to pray each day.

It is not because the times are special or make our prayer more effective. Some of us who practice praying at regular times need to schedule reminders to pray throughout the day.

Our lives are filled with responsibilities and distractions. We would like to develop an attitude of prayer which we can practice throughout our everyday lives. The challenge is we get caught up in other things and forget how much we would like to be praying.

If it is helpful, we can set times in our daily calendars which remind us to practice prayer. Some of us practice praying in the morning and in the evening.

We do not need to go to a special place or say particular words. Our prayer practice may be simply taking time each day to listen to the stillness within us and around us.

Some people practice praying while they walk and others while they are kneeling or sitting down. We may pray with our eyes closed or with them open.

Our praying is not about following rules, but about being open and aware.

The key is finding what works for us.

What Difference Does Our Prayer Make?

No matter when or how we pray, praying changes how we experience our lives.

We take time to be open to the presence of spiritual life within us and around us. Praying is not an attempt to change our circumstances, but how we experience them.

Praying is not a substitute for taking action. We pray and listen to sacred stillness to discern how we will act. Our practice of prayer makes a difference within us. The differences change how we live our everyday lives.

Our praying is not a search for the answers. As we pray we listen for new questions and new insights to shape how we live our lives.

We do not pray to change the way things are, but so we are changed.

Like any other spiritual practice, praying becomes integrated into our lives over time. As we practice prayer we experience it helping us learn and grow. Praying is part of our lifelong journey into becoming who we can be.

Praying is more than an immediate moment. Our practice of prayer builds over time.

How will we pray today?

What differences will our prayer practices make this week?

[Image by Christine ™]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual director in Southern California. He is a recovering assistant district attorney and associate university professor, and is a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s email address is [email protected].

Religious Events

Blog

Spiritual Practices

National Day of Prayer

prayer

praying

Previous Post

May 2, 2023

What Is a Strategic Monk?

Next Post

May 9, 2023 Taking Time for Stillness

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Thus wrote Mahatma Gandhi: "Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

A Matter of Life and Death: ..."

"It's a Gandhian model of on-going-ness and togetherness. Day after day, week after week, month ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Practicing Community: How Do We Connect?

"Human beings love to experience uninterrupted and unending on-going-ness and togetherness. Easter offers that and ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Why is Easter Important?

"Friday in Holy Week is known as Good Friday. On Good Friday we remember the ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Is This a Particularly Holy Week?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which prophet predicted an outpouring of God's Spirit in the last days?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ezekiel Joel Micah Daniel